If my car is cranking hard - could my battery need water?

Question

Car cranks once - nothing - cranks - nothing- then turns over - Could my battery need water or maybe the cables are loose or dirty? What do you think?

Answer 1

You need to check the battery and see if it has caps on it. If it does, you most certainly may need to add water. If not, it is a sealed battery. You also need to check the terminals. Pull them off and clean them with a wire brush. Mix baking soda and water and pour a little on the terminals to neutralize the acid that is on them, then rinse it off. I can tell you from personal experience that if your battery is low on water that not only is it weaker, it can explode with considerable force when you try to start the car, enough to blow the top off the battery, break the hold-downs, and shower a ten-foot radius with acid. If you happen to be jump-starting your car at the time the battery explodes, you are truly screwed.

Answer 2

Don't understand your question actually, cranks hard? etc. I think you might be meaning on turning the key, it turns the engine over once, or teice, and doesn't start, and then you turn the key again, and it doesn't do anything, like turn the engine over. Which is indicative of a flat battery, No charge in it etc. Or, yes it could be down to loose cables to the battery, or a loose earth wire to the chassis from the electrical circuit.
Adding "water" won't help, besides if anything it is specifically distilled water that is added to a battery, impurities in tap water will damage the battery. But the probability is that your battery is a sealed unit, nearly all batteries are these days, and are termed maintenance free. Perhaps before the 90's one would check their car battery from time to time, and recharge in the winter etc. But now modern cars don't need this. Even if it is a battery you can add distilled water to, it will not help to start it again, although if the battery is old, and the electrolyte....(the fluid in a battery) (which by the way is actually Sulphuric acid and purified distilled water, so be careful when looking around a battery, or trying to open it, it can burn you, and is dangerous to your eyes, and will wreck your clothes, they will literally fall apart when wet again, i.e. in a wash.) .... is low, certainly the battery will not be working to it's capacity, less fluid in the battery, equates to less charge it can hold, adding distilled water in that case may well help, but you will need to charge it up in any case to replenish the charge. It will be best If you can find someone to test the charge in the battery, an ammeter is used for this. The battery shoud show 12volts, on a voltmeter. or near to it, but more importantly an ammeter measures the amperage, the current in your battery, which provides the power to turn the starter motor over, depending on the battery, it will be stamped, or label on it, the amperage rating will show you what it should be. It is possible to charge it with a battery charger, although check the handbook for the car, as some cars should not be charged with the battery connected, or ask a car shop of the make of car you have what to do, normally they are pretty helpful. You could jump start the car using jump leads to another car with a good battery, thick leads connect battery terminals positive red to red between cars, and black to black, negative to negative, the power in the good battery will "jump" to your car to start it, alternatively, if it is a manual shift it could be started with a push or roll start, i.e. ignition turned on, freewheel, then select 2nd gear and let clutch out quickly, car will kangaroo a bit, but should start, as soon as it does, depress the clutch, and brake, or you will keep going, of course!
Bear in mind that these days, again, the newer type batteries, once they have been run down, and discharged, are useless after that, they cannot be recharged, and you will need to buy another battery, if in doubt ask a local dealer like I suggested earlier, or call a battery supplier, and they will tell you. OK

Answer 3

5 Years

Answer 4

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RE:
If my car is cranking hard - could my battery need water?
Car cranks once - nothing - cranks - nothing- then turns over - Could my battery need water or maybe the cables are loose or dirty? What do you think?

Answer 5

Clean and tighten cables. Try and start car. If battery is old , 4 plus years, it may not be holding a charge. Get it tested to see. Do a load test too. Most car batteries are sealed and do not need to be checked for acid or water.

Answer 6

sounds like your battery is going bad, have the charging system checked out at autozone for free.

Answer 7

check cables,make sure they are clean & tight at the post connection.